Bhagavad Gītā · Chapter 17
हिन्दी · தமிழ் · తెలుగు · ಕನ್ನಡ · മലയാളം · বাংলা · मराठी · ગુજરાતી · ਪੰਜਾਬੀ · ଓଡ଼ିଆ · اردو · English · Español · Français · Deutsch · Português · Русский · 中文 · 日本語 · العربية · Bahasa Indonesia · ไทย
17.1
ये शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य यजन्ते श्रद्धयाऽन्विताः ।
तेषां निष्ठा तु का कृष्ण सत्त्वमाहो रजस्तमः ॥ १७.१ ॥
Arjuna said: Those who set aside the injunctions of scripture yet worship endowed with faith — what is their standing, Kṛṣṇa? Is it sattva, rajas, or tamas?
17.2
त्रिविधा भवति श्रद्धा देहिनां सा स्वभावजा ।
सात्त्विकी राजसी चैव तामसी चेति तां शृणु ॥ १७.२ ॥
The Lord said: The faith of embodied beings, born of their own nature, is threefold — sāttvika, rājasa, and tāmasa. Hear about it.
17.3
सत्त्वानुरूपा सर्वस्य श्रद्धा भवति भारत ।
श्रद्धामयोऽयं पुरुषो यो यच्छ्रद्धः स एव सः ॥ १७.३ ॥
The faith of each person accords with their inner nature, Bhārata. A person is made of faith: whatever one's faith is, that indeed one is.
17.4
यजन्ते सात्त्विका देवान्यक्षरक्षांसि राजसाः ।
प्रेतान्भूतगणांश्चान्ये यजन्ते तामसा जनाः ॥ १७.४ ॥
The sāttvika worship the gods; the rājasa worship yakṣas and rākṣasas; and others, the tāmasa, worship ghosts and hosts of spirits.
17.5
अशास्त्रविहितं घोरं तप्यन्ते ये तपो जनाः ।
दम्भाहङ्कारसंयुक्ताः कामरागबलान्विताः ॥ १७.५ ॥
Those people who practise terrible austerities not enjoined by scripture, given to hypocrisy and egoism, driven by the force of desire and passion —
17.6
कर्षयन्तः शरीरस्थं भूतग्राममचेतसः ।
मां चैवान्तःशरीरस्थं तान्विद्ध्यासुरनिश्चयान् ॥ १७.६ ॥
senseless, they torment the aggregate of elements in the body, and me too, who dwell within the body. Know them to be of demonic resolve.
17.7
आहारस्त्वपि सर्वस्य त्रिविधो भवति प्रियः ।
यज्ञस्तपस्तथा दानं तेषां भेदमिमं शृणु ॥ १७.७ ॥
Even the food dear to each person is of three kinds, and so are sacrifice, austerity and giving. Hear now this distinction among them.
17.8
आयुःसत्त्वबलारोग्यसुखप्रीतिविवर्धनाः ।
रस्याः स्निग्धाः स्थिरा हृद्या आहाराः सात्त्विकप्रियाः ॥ १७.८ ॥
Foods that increase life, vitality, strength, health, happiness and contentment, that are flavorful, rich, substantial and pleasing to the heart, are dear to the sāttvika.
17.9
कट्वम्ललवणात्युष्णतीक्ष्णरूक्षविदाहिनः ।
आहारा राजसस्येष्टा दुःखशोकामयप्रदाः ॥ १७.९ ॥
Foods that are bitter, sour, salty, overly hot, pungent, dry and burning are liked by the rājasa; they bring pain, grief and disease.
17.10
यातयामं गतरसं पूति पर्युषितं च यत् ।
उच्छिष्टमपि चामेध्यं भोजनं तामसप्रियम् ॥ १७.१० ॥
Food that is stale, tasteless, putrid, kept overnight, left over by others and impure is dear to the tāmasa.
17.11
अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्यज्ञो विधिदृष्टो य इज्यते ।
यष्टव्यमेवेति मनः समाधाय स सात्त्विकः ॥ १७.११ ॥
The sacrifice offered according to scriptural injunction by those who seek no fruit, with the mind settled in the thought "this ought to be offered," is sāttvika.
17.12
अभिसंधाय तु फलं दम्भार्थमपि चैव यत् ।
इज्यते भरतश्रेष्ठ तं यज्ञं विद्धि राजसम् ॥ १७.१२ ॥
But the sacrifice that is offered with an eye to its fruit, or even for show, O best of the Bhāratas, know that sacrifice to be rājasa.
17.13
विधिहीनमसृष्टान्नं मन्त्रहीनमदक्षिणम् ।
श्रद्धाविरहितं यज्ञं तामसं परिचक्षते ॥ १७.१३ ॥
A sacrifice performed without regard to ordinance, in which no food is distributed, without mantras, without gifts to the priests and devoid of faith, is called tāmasic.
17.14
देवद्विजगुरुप्राज्ञपूजनं शौचमार्जवम् ।
ब्रह्मचर्यमहिंसा च शारीरं तप उच्यते ॥ १७.१४ ॥
Worship of the gods, the twice-born, teachers and the wise; purity, uprightness, celibacy and non-violence: this is called austerity of the body.
17.15
अनुद्वेगकरं वाक्यं सत्यं प्रियहितं च यत् ।
स्वाध्यायाभ्यसनं चैव वाङ्मयं तप उच्यते ॥ १७.१५ ॥
Speech that causes no distress, that is truthful, pleasant and beneficial, and the regular practice of scriptural recitation: this is called austerity of speech.
17.16
मनःप्रसादः सौम्यत्वं मौनमात्मविनिग्रहः ।
भावसंशुद्धिरित्येतत्तपो मानसमुच्यते ॥ १७.१६ ॥
Serenity of mind, gentleness, silence, self-restraint and purity of heart: this is called austerity of the mind.
17.17
श्रद्धया परया तप्तं तपस्तत्ति्रविधं नरैः ।
अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्युक्तैः सात्त्विकं परिचक्षते ॥ १७.१७ ॥
This threefold austerity, practised with supreme faith by steadfast people who do not desire its fruit, is called sāttvic.
17.18
सत्कारमानपूजार्थं तपो दम्भेन चैव यत् ।
क्रियते तदिह प्रोक्तं राजसं चलमध्रुवम् ॥ १७.१८ ॥
Austerity performed with ostentation for the sake of respect, honour and reverence is here called rājasic; it is unsteady and impermanent.
17.19
मूढग्राहेणात्मनो यत्पीडया क्रियते तपः ।
परस्योत्सादनार्थं वा तत्तामसमुदाहृतम् ॥ १७.१९ ॥
Austerity performed out of deluded obstinacy, with torment to oneself, or for the purpose of ruining another, is declared to be tāmasic.
17.20
दातव्यमिति यद्दानं दीयतेऽनुपकारिणे ।
देशे काले च पात्रे च तद्दानं सात्त्विकं स्मृतम् ॥ १७.२० ॥
A gift given with the thought "it ought to be given," to one who does nothing in return, at the proper place and time and to a worthy recipient, is held to be sāttvic.
17.21
यत्तु प्रत्युपकारार्थं फलमुद्दिश्य वा पुनः ।
दीयते च परिक्लिष्टं तद्दानं राजसं स्मृतम् ॥ १७.२१ ॥
But a gift given for the sake of a return, or with an eye to some result, or given grudgingly, is held to be rājasic.
17.22
अदेशकाले यद्दानमपात्रेभ्यश्च दीयते ।
असत्कृतमवज्ञातं तत्तामसमुदाहृतम् ॥ १७.२२ ॥
A gift given at the wrong place and time, to unworthy persons, without respect and with contempt, is declared to be tāmasic.
17.23
तत्सदिति निर्देशो ब्रह्मणस्त्रिविधः स्मृतः ।
ब्राह्मणास्तेन वेदाश्च यज्ञाश्च विहिताः पुरा ॥ १७.२३ ॥
"Oṃ tat sat" is held to be the threefold designation of Brahman. By it, in ancient times, the brāhmaṇas, the Vedas and the sacrifices were ordained.
17.24
तस्मादोमित्युदाहृत्य यज्ञदानतपःक्रियाः ।
प्रवर्तन्ते विधानोक्ताः सततं ब्रह्मवादिनाम् ॥ १७.२४ ॥
Therefore, uttering "Oṃ," those who expound Brahman always begin their acts of sacrifice, giving and austerity as laid down in the injunctions.
17.25
तदित्यनभिसन्धाय फलं यज्ञतपःक्रियाः ।
दानक्रियाश्च विविधाः क्रियन्ते मोक्षकाङ्क्षि ॥ १७.२५ ॥
Uttering “Tat,” without aiming at the fruit, those who seek liberation perform the various acts of sacrifice, austerity and giving.
17.26
सद्भावे साधुभावे च सदित्येतत्प्रयुज्यते ।
प्रशस्ते कर्मणि तथा सच्छब्दः पार्थ युज्यते ॥ १७.२६ ॥
The word “Sat” is used in the sense of reality and of goodness; likewise, Pārtha, the word “Sat” is applied to a praiseworthy act.
17.27
यज्ञे तपसि दाने च स्थितिः सदिति चोच्यते ।
कर्म चैव तदर्थीयं सदित्येवाभिधीयते ॥ १७.२७ ॥
Steadfastness in sacrifice, austerity and giving is also called “Sat,” and action done for their sake is likewise called “Sat.”
17.28
अश्रद्धया हुतं दत्तं तपस्तप्तं कृतं च यत् ।
असदित्युच्यते पार्थ न च तत्प्रेत्य नो इह ॥ १७.२८ ॥
Whatever is offered in the fire, given, or practised as austerity, or done without faith, is called “asat,” Pārtha; it is of no avail either hereafter or here.